The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-03-17
COL. MURPHY.
Comrade Thinks He Suffered Great Injustice
the Hands OF Gen. Grant.

EDITOR NATIONAL tribune: In reply tc
the inquiry of Comrade Horne in regard to
Col. Murphy, perhaps fuller statement than
that made by COmrade Weissert would be OF
interest TO many old soldiers, and be the means
OF bringing more light upon that Inflated cam
paign.
1t will be remembered that the supplies of every
description for Gen. Grants army had been
brought by railroad and stored there for transpOr
tation further south, as needed in the expedition
against Nicksburg. The sth Wis, Col. Murphy,
was at Oxford, 40 miles south of Holly Springs.
The Colonel had been home and was on his
way back to the regiment, when he was stopped
at Holly Springs and placed in command OF the
post. The force consisted of the I01st Ill.-a
new regiment that had just arrived, two CON-
panies of the 9TH Ill. Cav. and some GONZALES
cents. There was not piece of artillery there,
nor any Notifications
Now let us see what Col. Murphy's statement
OF the situation was. He said Gen. Grant tele-
graphed to him from Oxford the night before
Van Dorm made his appearance that rebel
cavalry force was advancing from the direction
OF Rocky Ford, and ordered him to send out his
two companies and try aud delay them till our
cavalry could come up from the vicinity of
Coheeville. He answered that il was too late
TO send them that night, and Gen. Grant replied
that in the morning would do.
Al s O'Clock they were ready to start, but
about this time negro arrived with the in
formation that Van Dorm was coming from the
opposite Observation-Disclosures 5000 cavalry.
The Colonel started for the telegraph office,
which was good mile east OF the town, to send
news TO Gen. Grant, and was captured before
he got there. This, as near as can remember,
is the substance of the COlonel's statement as
published at the time. Early in the morning
alter the capture the regiment was in the town,
but Van Dorm was on his way up the road to-
ward La Grange. 1t was said 81, 100000 worth
OF property had been destroyed aud the expo
dition was abandoned.
Col. Murphy was dismissed the service with
out hearing Notwithstanding he went to
Washington and appealed to President Lin
coin for an investigation. If tho fault was
clearly his. who but he would have been the
sufferer from cOurt-maTtial? The plea that
we were in the presence Of the enemy and
there was not time to attend to it would hardly
do, for II was some time before another move
ment was made. The more probable reason is
that Gen. Grant knew as little of the where
abouts OF Gen. Van Dorm as Col. Murphy did /;
that both were equally surprised and equally
unprepared.
am well aware that the Judgment and opin-
lon of the private soldier in regard to military
matters is considered, and perhaps justly, of
but little account; still it may be pardOnable to
suggest that Gen. Grants undertaking to trans
port his supplies by railroad 800 or 400 miles
from his base was a little risky, when we take
into consideration the fact that the rebel Gen
erals were not all Pcmbertons.
great failure had been made, and the re-
sponsibiiity must rest somewhere. Col Muir
ply happened to be the man On whom it fell,
and Gen. Grant crushed him rs relentessly as
he would worm beneath his foot. Now, after
the lapse of more than 20 years, the champion
OF Fitz-John Porter, not satisfied with the ruin
he has wrought, still further blackens the
name Of his victim and hands il down to pos
terity as history.-E. WILCOX, Co. c, Sth Wis,
Augusta, Wis.